Revelation 18:4-8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
“Come out of her, my people,
so that you do not take part in her sins
and so that you do not share in her plagues,(A)
5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and God has remembered her iniquities.(B)
6 Render to her as she herself has rendered,
and repay her double for her deeds;
mix a double dose for her in the cup she mixed.(C)
7 As she glorified herself and lived luxuriously,
so give her a like measure of torment and grief.
Since in her heart she says,
‘I rule as a queen;
I am no widow,
and I will never see grief,’(D)
8 therefore her plagues will come in a single day—
pestilence and mourning and famine—
and she will be burned with fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”(E)
Revelation 18:4-8
New English Translation
4 Then[a] I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, so you will not take part in her sins and so you will not receive her plagues, 5 because her sins have piled[b] up all the way to heaven[c] and God has remembered[d] her crimes.[e] 6 Repay her the same way she repaid others;[f] pay her back double[g] corresponding to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her. 7 As much as[h] she exalted herself and lived in sensual luxury,[i] to this extent give her torment and grief because she said to herself,[j] ‘I rule as queen and am no widow; I will never experience grief!’ 8 For this reason, she will experience her plagues[k] in a single day: disease,[l] mourning,[m] and famine, and she will be burned down[n] with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful!”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Revelation 18:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
- Revelation 18:5 tn On ἐκολλήθησαν (ekollēthēsan) BDAG 556 s.v. κολλάω 2.a.β states, “fig. cling to = come in close contact with (cp. Ps 21:16; 43:26 ἐκολλήθη εἰς γῆν ἡ γαστὴρ ἡμῶν. The act.=‘bring into contact’ PGM 5, 457 κολλήσας τ. λίθον τῷ ὠτίῳ) ἐκολλήθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἄχρι τ. οὐρανοῦ the sins have touched the heaven = reached the sky (two exprs. are telescoped) Rv 18:5.”
- Revelation 18:5 tn Or “up to the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
- Revelation 18:5 tn That is, remembered her sins to execute judgment on them.
- Revelation 18:5 tn Or “her sins.”
- Revelation 18:6 tn The word “others” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
- Revelation 18:6 tn On this term BDAG 252 s.v. διπλόω states, “to double τὰ διπλᾶ pay back double Rv 18:6.”
- Revelation 18:7 tn “As much as” is the translation of ὅσα (hosa).
- Revelation 18:7 tn On the term ἐστρηνίασεν (estrēniasen) BDAG 949 s.v. στρηνιάω states, “live in luxury, live sensually Rv 18:7. W. πορνεύειν vs. 9.”
- Revelation 18:7 tn Grk “said in her heart,” an idiom for saying something to oneself.
- Revelation 18:8 tn Grk “For this reason, her plagues will come.”
- Revelation 18:8 tn Grk “death.” θάνατος (thanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).
- Revelation 18:8 tn This is the same Greek word (πένθος, penthos) translated “grief” in vv. 7-8.
- Revelation 18:8 tn Here “burned down” was used to translate κατακαυθήσεται (katakauthēsetai) because a city is in view.
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